Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Sanctions

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 June (HL5356), whether EU sanctions will continue to apply in the UK after the Transition Period.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: After the Transition Period, the UK and the EU will pursue independent sanctions policies, driven by our respective foreign policies. Her Majesty's Government is transferring existing EU sanctions into UK law through regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. We aim to transition the remaining EU sanctions regime into UK law by the end of the transition period but, as a safeguard, any sanctions regimes which we do not transition by then will be retained by effect of the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018. These regulations will come into force on 1 January 2021, at which point existing EU sanctions will become autonomous UK sanctions.

Iraq: Turkey

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Turkey about reports of attacks by Turkish armed forces on settlements in Iraq and the subsequent deaths of Kurdish civilians living there.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is closely following the situation in northern Iraq. Our Ambassador in Ankara has spoken to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including on reports of civilian casualties. We continue to urge dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security and protect civilians.

Attorney General

Yvonne Fletcher

lord willoughby de broke: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Prime Minister on 1 July (HC Deb, col 327), what steps they are taking to prosecute the person responsible for the death of WPCYvonne Fletcher.

lord keen of elie: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is not currently considering charges against anyone in relation to the tragic death of PC Yvonne Fletcher. In any case referred to the CPS by the police, a decision to prosecute is made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and a case must meet the evidential and public interest stages of the Code Test. In accordance with the Code, the CPS will consider any new information that is referred to them by the police in relation to this case, and will continue to bring offenders to justice wherever possible.

Department for Education

Teachers: Coronavirus

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers have been in receipt of full pay and (1) have not had to teach, and (2) have had to teach for less than two days a week, as a result of the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness berridge: State-funded schools have continued to receive their budgets for the year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. This has ensured that schools have been able to continue to pay their staff in full and meet their other regular financial commitments.The specific information requested at (1) and (2) is not held centrally by the department.

Children: Vocational Guidance

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that all children receive careers guidance during school closures.

baroness berridge: The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) continues to support schools and colleges to provide young people and their parents with high-quality careers education and guidance, working with the network of local partners and providers across the country to do so. This includes supporting Careers Leaders and employers to deliver virtual careers activities, including work experience and mock interviews. The CEC worked in partnership with Oak National Academy and Learn Live to create ‘My Week of Work’, which ran from 8-12 June. There were 35,066 users on the Oak platform during the week, while 84,933 students and 758 schools registered for the Learn Live employer Q&As. The week inspired and prepared young people for the world of work by allowing them to hear from over 30 leading employers, including Burberry, BAE Systems, Morgan Sindall, Microsoft and NHS Trusts. Students heard from employees, learned about the businesses, and completed virtual work tasks.The National Careers Service continues to provide high-quality, impartial careers information, advice, and guidance for young people via its helpline, website and web chat facility throughout this difficult time. In addition, the National Careers Service will operate an exam results helpline to ensure that young people receiving their GCSE and A Level results this summer can get advice from qualified advisers. We anticipate over 2700 young people will call the helpline this year.

History: Curriculum

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the national curriculum framework includes (1) black history, and (2) content on the UK’s colonial and imperial past.

baroness berridge: The department is committed to an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity and supports all pupils and students to tackle racism and have the knowledge and tools to do so.The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices about what they teach.As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, pupils should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experience of Black people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about Black history across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum. For example, at key stage 1, schools can teach about the lives of key Black historical figures such as Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks or others; and at key stage 3, cover the development and end of the British Empire and Britain’s transatlantic slave trade, its effects and its eventual abolition. The teaching of Black history need not be limited to these examplesIt is important that pupils are taught how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. A balanced history curriculum equips pupils to ask perceptive questions, to think critically, to weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Fundamentally, it supports pupils to understand how Britain became the country it is today.There is also scope to include Black and minority ethnic history and experience in other curriculums, such as in:Citizenship: At key stage 4, students should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.PSHE: Schools have flexibility to teach topics such as Black history as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) programme and through the introduction of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education students will be taught the importance of respectful relationships in particular how stereotypes, based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage.

Education: Equality

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Berridge on 30 June (HL5626), how they ensure that the UK has an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity when schools make their own choices about what is taught.

baroness berridge: All state-funded schools in England have a duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school, and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must also not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act.The Department for Education has published guidance to help schools fulfil their duties under the Act. This includes advice on the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires public bodies, including state-funded schools, to have due regard to the need to: foster good relations across all protected characteristics; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act. Additionally, the Independent Schools Standards requires independent schools to encourage respect for others, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Act.Schools and further education colleges are also required to actively promote fundamental British values, including individual liberty, and mutual respect of those of different faiths and beliefs. The Department for Education has published advice for schools on promoting these values, and has made resources available through the ‘Educate Against Hate’ website. This website provides teachers, school leaders and parents with the information, guidance and support they need to challenge radical and discriminatory views.The school’s curriculum, including how well it meets these duties and expectations, is at the centre of Ofsted’s school inspections. Ofsted will expect a good curriculum to equip pupils for life in modern Britain. Inspectors will look at how well schools are developing pupils’ understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. They will take account of pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures at the school and further afield; pupils’ ability to recognise and value the things we share in common across cultural, religious, social and socio-economic communities; and pupils’ interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. Ofsted’s school inspection handbook also sets the expectation that in a school with ‘good’ personal development, the school promotes equality of opportunity and diversity effectively. As part of assessing the school’s leadership and management, inspectors also consider the school’s adherence to its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Religious Society of Friends: Coronavirus

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to have withrepresentatives of the British Society of Friends to discuss post COVID-19 pandemic recovery plans.

lord greenhalgh: Faith leaders and communities continue to play a critical role in our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has been working closely with all major faith groups though Minister-led faith leader roundtables, as well as through the Places of Worship Taskforce. The roundtable engagement has directly fed into our decision making and has included representation from the British Society of Friends. This engagement will continue through our response to this pandemic.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Domestic Abuse

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reports of domestic abuse (1) the Royal Military Police, (2) the Royal Air Force Police, and (3) the Royal Navy Police, dealt with in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018, (e) 2019, and (f) 2020 to date.

baroness goldie: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 16 July 2020.The correct answer should have been:

There is no statutory offence of ‘domestic abuse’ and actions amounting to it could be recorded under a number of offences such as Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), Common Assault or sexual offences. Furthermore, within military police crime-recording systems, the categorisation of whether an incident involves ‘domestic violence’ or not, is not a mandatory field, meaning that the figures provided are indicative only. The first document provided gives figures for the number of reported offences for each Service for the years 2015-2020 to date where the incident has been categorised as involving domestic violence. The second document provided gives figures for each Service for the years 2015-2020 to date, for the number of GBH, ABH, and Common Assault offences. The noble Lord should note that in both of the documents, the figures given are for reported offences – that is, to say an allegation has been made. These figures do not relate to charges brought or court convictions. An average time cannot be given regarding the Chain of Command (CoC) reporting such incidents to the Service Police. Every case would require examination to determine when it was reported to the Service Police and not every investigation file may contain the date when an incident was originally reported to the CoC. Therefore, we would not be able to provide a complete answer and what we could provide could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However where reported to the CoC, any incident of domestic abuse must be reported to the Service Police no later than 24 hours after the incident has occurred. Further to this, a referral to the Welfare Service must be made in any situation involving domestic abuse or similar allegations.Whilst there are no houses on the defence estate dedicated specifically for survivors of domestic abuse, support is provided through a suite of policies which seek to provide housing options for families in times of estrangement. Short term accommodation for welfare or compassionate reasons is administered by Service welfare associations. Tri-Service accommodation policy requires the provision of welfare houses at each designated establishment, scaled to reflect density of Service population. Unit welfare staff, in conjunction with civilian police and local authorities assess whether utilisation of such are in the best interests of safeguarding abuse survivors, and may provide alternative accommodation (through local authority or charitable provision) if distance between perpetrator and survivor is required. The MOD is currently reviewing the tri-service policy on domestic abuse with the help of leading charity Hestia, who sit alongside MOD on the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse. It is intended that this policy apply to the whole force – civilians, contractors and the single Services. The review will also focus on the availability of accommodation for survivors, taking advice from the domestic abuse charity Standing Together. MOD intends to refresh and re-launch the policy towards the end of 2020. The MOD continually monitors whole force data on domestic abuse for prevalence and risk factors – this has been of particular focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. This data is disseminated and discussed within the MOD Domestic Abuse Stakeholder Forum the Domestic Abuse Working Group (DAWG), which meets quarterly. The DAWG seeks advice and guidance from national domestic abuse charities like Hestia, Aurora New Dawn and the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse, resulting in continual policy improvement. 



HL6648 - AF Domestic Violence Tick Box
(Excel SpreadSheet, 35.08 KB)




HL6648 - AF Common Assault Data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 153.58 KB)

baroness goldie: There is no statutory offence of ‘domestic abuse’ and actions amounting to it could be recorded under a number of offences such as Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), Common Assault or sexual offences. Furthermore, within military police crime-recording systems, the categorisation of whether an incident involves ‘domestic violence’ or not, is not a mandatory field, meaning that the figures provided are indicative only. The first document provided gives figures for the number of reported offences for each Service for the years 2015-2020 to date where the incident has been categorised as involving domestic violence. The second document provided gives figures for each Service for the years 2015-2020 to date, for the number of GBH, ABH, and Common Assault offences. The noble Lord should note that in both of the documents, the figures given are for reported offences – that is, to say an allegation has been made. These figures do not relate to charges brought or court convictions. An average time cannot be given regarding the Chain of Command (CoC) reporting such incidents to the Service Police. Every case would require examination to determine when it was reported to the Service Police and not every investigation file may contain the date when an incident was originally reported to the CoC. Therefore, we would not be able to provide a complete answer and what we could provide could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However where reported to the CoC, any incident of domestic abuse must be reported to the Service Police no later than 24 hours after the incident has occurred. Further to this, a referral to the Welfare Service must be made in any situation involving domestic abuse or similar allegations.Whilst there are no houses on the defence estate dedicated specifically for survivors of domestic abuse, support is provided through a suite of policies which seek to provide housing options for families in times of estrangement. Short term accommodation for welfare or compassionate reasons is administered by Service welfare associations. Tri-Service accommodation policy requires the provision of welfare houses at each designated establishment, scaled to reflect density of Service population. Unit welfare staff, in conjunction with civilian police and local authorities assess whether utilisation of such are in the best interests of safeguarding abuse survivors, and may provide alternative accommodation (through local authority or charitable provision) if distance between perpetrator and survivor is required. The MOD is currently reviewing the tri-service policy on domestic abuse with the help of leading charity Hestia, who sit alongside MOD on the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse. It is intended that this policy apply to the whole force – civilians, contractors and the single Services. The review will also focus on the availability of accommodation for survivors, taking advice from the domestic abuse charity Standing Together. MOD intends to refresh and re-launch the policy towards the end of 2020. The MOD continually monitors whole force data on domestic abuse for prevalence and risk factors – this has been of particular focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. This data is disseminated and discussed within the MOD Domestic Abuse Stakeholder Forum the Domestic Abuse Working Group (DAWG), which meets quarterly. The DAWG seeks advice and guidance from national domestic abuse charities like Hestia, Aurora New Dawn and the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse, resulting in continual policy improvement. 



HL6648 - AF Domestic Violence Tick Box
(Excel SpreadSheet, 35.08 KB)




HL6648 - AF Common Assault Data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 153.58 KB)

Armed Forces: Domestic Abuse

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many houses on the defence estate are available to survivors of domestic abuse.

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many days, on average, it takes for the British Armed Forces chain of command to engage with the Royal Military Police on reports of domestic abuse.

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toanalyse'Whole Force' data (1) to identifythe prevalence of domestic abuseand potential risk factors, and(2) to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention measures and interventions, in order to refine and improve the policy and practiceof the British Armed Forces.

baroness goldie: There is no statutory offence of ‘domestic abuse’ and actions amounting to it could be recorded under a number of offences such as Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), Common Assault or sexual offences. Furthermore, within military police crime-recording systems, the categorisation of whether an incident involves ‘domestic violence’ or not, is not a mandatory field, meaning that the figures provided are indicative only. The first document provided gives figures for the number of reported offences for each Service for the years 2015-2020 to date where the incident has been categorised as involving domestic violence. The second document provided gives figures for each Service for the years 2015-2020 to date, for the number of GBH, ABH, and Common Assault offences. The noble Lord should note that in both of the documents, the figures given are for reported offences – that is, to say an allegation has been made. These figures do not relate to charges brought or court convictions. An average time cannot be given regarding the Chain of Command (CoC) reporting such incidents to the Service Police. Every case would require examination to determine when it was reported to the Service Police and not every investigation file may contain the date when an incident was originally reported to the CoC. Therefore, we would not be able to provide a complete answer and what we could provide could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However where reported to the CoC, any incident of domestic abuse must be reported to the Service Police no later than 24 hours after the incident has occurred. Further to this, a referral to the Welfare Service must be made in any situation involving domestic abuse or similar allegations.Whilst there are no houses on the defence estate dedicated specifically for survivors of domestic abuse, support is provided through a suite of policies which seek to provide housing options for families in times of estrangement. Short term accommodation for welfare or compassionate reasons is administered by Service welfare associations. Tri-Service accommodation policy requires the provision of welfare houses at each designated establishment, scaled to reflect density of Service population. Unit welfare staff, in conjunction with civilian police and local authorities assess whether utilisation of such are in the best interests of safeguarding abuse survivors, and may provide alternative accommodation (through local authority or charitable provision) if distance between perpetrator and survivor is required. The MOD is currently reviewing the tri-service policy on domestic abuse with the help of leading charity Hestia, who sit alongside MOD on the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse. It is intended that this policy apply to the whole force – civilians, contractors and the single Services. The review will also focus on the availability of accommodation for survivors, taking advice from the domestic abuse charity Standing Together. MOD intends to refresh and re-launch the policy towards the end of 2020. The MOD continually monitors whole force data on domestic abuse for prevalence and risk factors – this has been of particular focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. This data is disseminated and discussed within the MOD Domestic Abuse Stakeholder Forum the Domestic Abuse Working Group (DAWG), which meets quarterly. The DAWG seeks advice and guidance from national domestic abuse charities like Hestia, Aurora New Dawn and the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse, resulting in continual policy improvement.

Armed Forces: Families

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding has been spent by the Ministry of Defence to implement the Armed Forces Families' Strategy in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, and (5) 2020 to date.

baroness goldie: Although it is not possible to provide the figures requested, the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy remains one of our priorities, setting the principles against which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) formulates policy; this acknowledges the challenges which mobility and separation present to family life, alongside the numerous positive aspects of Service life. Success is measured in satisfaction levels and improved outcomes for families, rather than in financial expenditure. In adhering to the principles of the strategy MOD has introduced flexible working, the Future Accommodation Model and is working across government, in the devolved administrations and the charitable sector to mitigate disadvantage in access to education and healthcare through the Armed Forces Covenant. £317 million has been provided by MOD to circa 21,000 families under the Forces Help to Buy Scheme - the current tranche of the scheme runs until December 2022 and we will actively look to extend this. This Government has committed to funding wrap around childcare for Armed Forces families, and recently announced the launch of a pilot programme beginning in September.

Department for Work and Pensions

Industrial Health and Safety: Leicester

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to investigate reports that clothing manufacturing businesses in Leicester (1) have not complied with the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) do not intend to follow the restrictions being put in place to address the localised lockdown.

baroness stedman-scott: The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) website (www.hse.gov.uk) has advice for businesses and organisations on the precautions required in the workplace, including from COVID-19 and enables employees and others to contact HSE about working conditions or practices. HSE has also been working alongside other government departments across a range of sectors following up reports and concerns about safety in the workplace and COVID-19 restrictions. Throughout the pandemic, HSE has actively engaged with businesses, including clothing manufacturers, by site visits and phone calls, investigating reports from those raising concerns, assessing compliance with health and safety law, and using guidance such as that published about social distancing from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19). Specifically, in Leicester HSE has investigated 3 textile businesses following concerns reported, contacted 17 and undertaken 14 site visits to assess compliance with health and safety legislation. Enforcement action has been taken at 1 of these sites where non-compliance with COVID-19 risk controls was found. HSE will continue to regulate workplaces by carrying out proactive spot checks over the coming weeks to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19. In Leicester, HSE has prioritised these spot checks in the textile industry and will take enforcement action to secure compliance where businesses cannot demonstrate they are taking all reasonable steps to make their workplace COVID secure. HSE will also continue to respond to reports of concerns raised. (Footnote – It is usual to provide documents when web links are used in Parliamentary Questions but during the COVID – 19 outbreak Government Departments have used interactive websites that allow stakeholders to access a wide range of guidance that is relevant to their situation. These sites have content pages that link to other sites and documents.)

Disability: Coronavirus

lord low of dalston: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they intend to offer disabled people and their families as the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic are eased.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organisations and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the support needed as lockdown restrictions are eased. The Government is ensuring that disabled people continue to have access to accessible communications, updated guidance, including workplace and transport related guidance, as well as access to food, medicines and essential supplies, disability benefits and other financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unpaid carers in financial need are able to access the full range of Social Security benefits, which include Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Carer’s Allowance. The Government continues to support disabled employees to access assistive technology and other forms of support they need to retain, adapt and move into employment through the Access to Work scheme. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cabinet Office Disability Unit continues to work with disability stakeholders and across Government Departments to ensure that the needs of disabled people are considered in the UK Government’s response to COVID-19.

Employment Schemes: Coronavirus

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether employment programmes could be targeted to support the economic recovery of local authority areas from COVID-19.

baroness stedman-scott: The economic recovery package will have a number of components, at both national and local levels. Although contracted provision is often delivered more effectively at national level, we recognise the key role local areas will have in supplementing that provision with the best possible support offer, tailored more specifically to local needs. The Department offers significant support to unemployed people across Great Britain, through our network of Jobcentres. Our Jobcentres are using digital technology to host virtual jobfairs, working with employers to deliver online mentoring circles and facilitating sector based work academies. In addition, Work Coaches are conducting customer support calls with new Universal Credit and New Style Jobseekers Allowance claimants, providing support with finding a job, help with retraining or skills advice, CVs and job applications, and access to the new vacancies.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Import Duties

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect British food standards under any dual tariff proposals.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government stood on a manifesto commitment that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. The EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU food safety provisions, including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book. We are going into all our trade negotiations clear that we will uphold our food standards in future deals and we will use the most appropriate levers available to achieve this.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to increase the penalties for animal welfare offences.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government is supporting the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill as it makes its way through Parliament. The Bill will increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment. The new maximum penalty of five years is in line with campaigns by key stakeholders such as Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Dogs Trust and the RSPCA. This is a positive step forward in improving animal welfare and will act as a serious deterrent against cruelty and neglect. Northern Ireland has already set the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences at five years’ imprisonment, and the Scottish Government introduced the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill on 30 September 2019. The Welsh Government has confirmed that the new maximum penalty being proposed should apply in Wales. The increase to five years' imprisonment will provide one of the toughest sanctions in Europe, strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare. This builds on recent positive action the Government has taken to improve animal welfare standards, such as a requirement for CCTV in all slaughterhouses and implementing one of the world's toughest ivory bans. For companion animals, we have introduced new updated minimum welfare standards for pet selling, dog breeding, riding schools, animal boarding and exhibiting animals, as well as a ban on the commercial third-party sale of puppies and kittens.

Home Office

Windrush Generation: Compensation

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their target for the number of (1) claims settled in full, and (2) interim awards made, in respect of the Windrush Compensation Scheme within (a) 18 months, and (b) one year,of the commencement of that Scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: We are processing claims as quickly as possible, but all claims are different, and the time taken will depend on many factors, including the complexity of the case. We are committed to working with the claimant to ensure all possible information is taken into account - this will have an impact on the length of time it takes to process the claim but can result in a higher level of payment. Wherever possible, we will make interim payments on parts of the claim that are straightforward to determine, such as immigration fees, thereby speeding up the provision of compensation.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further toreports ofdelays by the Northern Ireland Executive in administering the payment of pensions to victims of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, what plans they have, if any, to ensure that these payments take place.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government is taking this matter very seriously and we are extremely disappointed by the current delay. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is working tirelessly to see a resolution on departmental designation by the Executive Office, which is the next vital step towards this scheme opening. The Executive needs to designate a department that can own the policy and implement the scheme so that applications can be processed and payments made to victims. The Government provided a legislative framework for this scheme in the absence of an Executive and the Executive must now deliver.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Voluntary Organisations: Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support BAME community organisations which have lost heritage funding as a result of the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19pandemic.

baroness barran: Government is fully committed to supporting the heritage sector through the coronavirus crisis. BAME community organisations are able to take advantage of the unprecedented support made available by the Government, including the Job Retention Scheme and a years' business rates holiday. In addition to Government support, Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund have made emergency response packages available, totalling over £50 million, for those organisations most in need.

Telecommunications: Huawei

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when Huawei was first given access to the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure; what assessment was made of any security, defence and human rights implicationsof that decisionat that time; whether Parliament was consulted; and which Ministershad to approve that access.

baroness barran: The details of Huawei’s entry into the UK market and associated decision making were subject of an inquiry by the Intelligence and Security Committee into ‘Foreign involvement in the Critical National Infrastructure - The implications for national security’. The findings of which were published in June 2013 followed by the government response in July 2013.The government response accepted the Committee’s conclusion that the processes of considering national security issues at the time in 2003-06 were insufficiently robust and that Ministers should have been informed.